Wire-stretcher



Patented Sept. l, 189k.

iv i Us, iim; filmlin l f N, m s... sil il l (No Model) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE lV. VARNER, OF FREEPORT, ILLINOIS.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 458,720, dated September 1, 18591.

Application tiled May 26, 189,1. Serial No. 394,135. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. WARNER, of Freeport, in the county of Stephenson and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Stretchers; and I do hereby declare that the followingisa full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to wire stretcher-s, and more particularly to that class designed for use in stretching fence-wire from post to post, and has for its object to provide a simple and efficient device for this purpose.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and specifically set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a stretcher embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same, partly in section, along the line 2 2 of Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. l, showing the parts in a different position.

In the said drawings, A represents a flat bar provided at intervals in one of its edges with a plurality of notches A', each having a Vertical rear wall aand an inclined front wall a. At its forward end the bar A is provided with a chain A2 or other suitable means for connecting it to the fence-post or other object toward which the wire is to be drawn, and said chain may be connected to the said bar by a ring a2 and clevis (03,01- in any other suitable manner.

B indicates a slide mounted on the bar A, and comprising an upper member I), a lower member b parallel thereto, and vertical lateral members 192,53, and D, connecting the members I) and b, the member b3 being arranged on one side of the bar A, while the members b2 and b4 are arranged on the other side of said bar. By this means the slide B is supported and guided laterally. The lower member ZJ of the slide B is provided on its upper side near its rear end with a transverse rib B', which forms the fulcrum on which said slide rocks, as hereinafter set forth. The upper memberbof the slide B has at its front end a downwardly-projecting tooth B2, adapted to iit and engage the notches A of the bar A. At its rear end the member Z) has a depressed portion B3, preferably curved, as

shown, which serves to guide and support the the dog upon its pivot d and raise the rear end thereof.

D2 indicates the rearwardly-extending portion or arm of the dog D, which terminates in a slide D3, composed of upper and lower parallel portions Z2 and lateral vertical p0rtions d3, the whole embracing the bar A on all sides. D4 is a downwardly -projecting tooth on said slide adapted to fit and engage the notches A of the bar A. i

The dog D is provided on its upper portion with a hook D5, which serves to connect to the dog a wire-gripping link E, which is provided at its forward end with a hook E to engage the said hook D5. At its other end the link E is provided with wire-gripping devices consisting, preferably, of a cam-lever E2, which cao-operates with a lateral flange e on the side of the link.

The stretcher is operated in the following manner: The bar A is connected to the post or other object toward which the wire is t0 be stretched by the chain A2 or other means provided for the purpose. The wire F is then gripped between the cam-lever E2 and flange e ou the link E, either before or after the said link has been connected with the dog D. The parts being in the position shown in Fig. l, the lever C is moved over into the position shown in Fig. 3 by a force acting upon it in the direction of the arrow m in said figure.

During this movement the slide Dit and dog D remain stationary, owing to the engagement of the tooth D4 with one of the notches A of the bar A. The lever O therefore turns This forward motion is imparted to the slide B, which moves forward sufficiently to cause its tooth B2 to engage with the notch A next forward of the one it has just left. During the first part of this forward movement of the slideBit moves upward with the pivot c, as indicated by the arrow y in Fig. 3, until the rib B comes into contact with the under side of thc bar A, when the force applied to the lever will, owing to the relative position of the pivot c and rib B, tend to turn the slide upon the said rib as a fulcrum, the rear end tending to move upward or away from the bar, while the front end carrying the tooth B2 moves downward or toward the bar, the said tooth being held in contact with the edge of the bar by the force applied to the lever C. The slide then moves forward with the tooth B2 forced against the notched edge of the bar until said tooth comes opposite the next notch A', when the force referred to will positively cause it to enter and become fully engaged with said notch. The depression B3 serves to insure the engagement of the tooth B2 with the notches A when the stretcher is used in a vertical position, and there is little or no strain from the wire F to overcome,in which case the weight of the lever O and its connected parts will hold the slide `B down on the bar A and the rib B will be inoperative. In this position of the parts the slide B travels on the bar A while resting on the same at its ends through the toot-l1 B2 and depressed portion B3. Then the said tooth comes opposite one of the notches A', the slide turns on the depressed portion B3 as a pivot as the tooth B2 engages the notch, such engagement being assumed by this construction, which renders it impossible for any slight irregularity of the bar A to prevent the full engagement of the tooth with the notch, as such irregularity might do if the whole or a large portion of the under side of the upper member I) of the slide B came into contact with the edge of the bar, as would be the case were the depressed portion B3 omitted. The slide B having been thus advanced a notch, the lever C is then moved forward into the position shown in Fig. l, turning upon the pivot c as a fixed pivot, the pivot d moving forward and carrying forward with it the dog` D and slide D3, this forward movement continuing until the tooth DA1 engages with the next notch A forward of the one it has just left. It will be noted that the hook D5 is above the pivot d of the dog D, or, in other words, farther from the bar A than said pivot, so that the strain from the resistance of the wire, being applied to the dogD through said hook D5, tends to rotate the dog around the pivot CZ in the direction of the arrows of Fig. 3, and thereby forces the tooth D4 toward and holds it against the edge of the bar A, so that when said tooth comes opposite the notch A it positively engages the same. The tooth D4 may be disengaged atanytmeindependently of the movement of the lever by pressure on the thumb-piece d. This forward movement of the dog carries forward with it the link E and wire F, which latter is thus stretched to an extent equal to the space between two of the notches A of the bar A. The series of operations just described is repeated until the wire is stretched to the desired point.

In the'foregoing description I have used the terms up and down and similar terms to indicate the relative position of the parts; but I wish it to be understood that these terms are used merely for facility of description, as the device may be used in any position and not merely in the vertical position shown. Indeed, it is for the very purpose of rendering the device capable of such use in any position that I have devised the construction hereinbefore set forth for causing the teeth to positively engage thernotches, instead of relying on gravity to effect such engagement.

I would also state that so far as that feature of my invention is concerned which relates to the slide B and the rib B thereof and its arrangement relatively to the pivot c, the same may be employed with other forms of the associated parts, as it is obvious, for instance, that some other form of dog than that shown and described may be employed in conjunction therewith without departing from the principle of my invention.

l. The combination, with a bar having a notch ed and a smooth edge, of a slide mounted thereon and provided with a tooth to engage the notched edge of the bar and a rib or fulcrum to bear on the smooth edge thereof, a lever pivoted to said slide, a dog pivoted tothe lever, and a wire-holding device connected with the dog, the relative positions 0f the pivot between the lever and slide and the rib or fulcrum and of the pivot between the lever and dog and the point where the wire-holding device is connected with the dog being such that the teeth of the slide and dog are forced positively into engagement with the notches of the bar when the parts arestrained, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a notched bar provided with means for connecting it with a fixed object, of a slide mounted on and embracing the bar and provided with a tooth to engage the notches of the bar, a hand-lever pivoted to one side of the slide, a dog pivoted to the same side of the hand-lever and provided with a slide mounted on and e1nbrac ing the bar and havinga tooth to engage the notches thereof, and wire-gripping devices connected with said dog, substantially as de scribed.

3. The combination, with a bar having a notched and a smooth edge, of a slide mounted thereon and embracing it on all sides, said slide being provided with a transverse rib forming a fulcrum to bear on the smooth edge of the bar, and a tooth to engage withy and bear on the notched edge of the bar, a handlever pivoted to said slide, and a dog pivoted IOC IIO

rzo

to the hand-lever and adapted to engage the notches of the bar,substantially as described.

et. The combination, with a bar having a notched and a smooth edge, of a slide mounted thereon and embracing1 it on all sides, said slide being; provided with a transverse rib forming` a fulerum to bear on the smooth edge of the bar and a tooth and a depressed portion to engage with and bear on the notched edge of the bar, a hand-lever pivoted to said slide, and a flog` pivoted to the hand-lever and adapted to engage the notches of the bar, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a notched bar, of a toothed slide mounted thereon, a hand-lever 

